Animal-trap.



downwardly extending points 7. The oppoenrr GLEN ONEAL, OF JACKSON,MONTANA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLEN ONEAL, a citizen of the United States, residingat J ackson, in the county of Beaverhead and State or ltiontana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in animal trapsand has for an object to provide a trap having all of the operatingmechanism concealed so that it will cause no suspicion to the most waryof animals.

Another object is to construct a trap which is adapted to be completelycovered with leaves, sand or the like without blocking or in any wayhindering the ready tripping of the same.

A further object is to produce a trap having tangs for the purpose ofpinioning the foot of an animal in a manner eliminating the risk of itseither withdrawing the foot from the trap or reaching it with his mouthand gnawing loose.

A still further object of this invention is to create an animal trapcomprising comparatively few parts and those so simple in constructionthat they can be manufactured at a minimum cost.

With these and other objects in View which will be disclosed as thedescription proceeds, this invention consists in certain novelformations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter morefully described, claimed and illustrated in the ac companying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on theline 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, the numeral 1designates a housing having a hinged bottom 2 and apertures 3 formed inits upper wall for the reception of depressibleblocks 1, the upper facesof which lie flush with the top of the housing.

Radial tangs 5 are mounted in suitable guides 6 upon the under side ofthe top of the housing and terminate inwardly in site ends of the tangsare provided with eyes 8 for the reception of the upturned ends of hooks9, which are carried by the housing. Helical tension springs 10 surroundthe tangs 5 and bear against the outer guides 6 and pins 11 formed onthe intermediate portions of the said tangs 5 and tend to normally pressthe same inwardly to a common center under the openings 3 of the housing1.

When the trap is set, the points 7 of the tangs 5 extend slightly underthe apertures 3 so that the beveled lower faces 12 of the depressibletrip members 4-. may rest thereon without falling into the housing. Whenthe trap is set, the tangs 5 are retracted against the tension of thesprings 10 until the eyes 8 engage the upturned ends of the hooks 9. Thedepressible members 4 are then placed in the apertures 3 by means ofheaded setting pins 13 which are adapted to be inserted throughapertures 14 formed centrally of the said depressible blocks. After thedepressible members are seated in their normal position upon thedownwardly extending points 7 of the tangs 5, the setting pins 13 may bepermitted to drop down into the housing and out of the way until whenneeded again for resetting.

It should be noted that the front members of the fastenings 6 whichretain the tangs 5 upon the underside of the top of the housing 1 are inthe form of eyes adapted to engage the tangs while the rear members arein the form of U-shaped staples. It is manifest that any slight pressureupon the blocks 4 forces the eyes 8 of the tangs inward through themedium of the beveled faces 12 of the said blocks and downward extendingpoints I of the tangs 5 and upward, in which movement the forwardmembers of the fastenings (3 act as fulcrums for the tangs and the rearmembers as guides, until the said eyes 8 are released from the pins 9.The blocks t then fall into the housing and the tangs 5 spring to thecenter of the apertures under the pres sure of the helical tensionsprings 10 and pinion the foot of the animal stepping upon thedepressible member. As the end of the tangs are curved downward anyattempt by the animal to withdraw its foot will be of no avail.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. In an animal trap, a housing having openings formed in its face,depressible blocks normally seated in the said openings, tangs mountedwithin the housing upon which the blocks rest, and springs upon thetangs adapted to force them toward the openings upon the depression ofthe blocks.

2. In an animal trap, a housing having openings in its upper face and ahinged hottom to admit access to the housing, depressible blocksprovided with lower beveled faces seated normally in the openings,radial tangs slidably mounted within the housing helical springs uponthe tangs adapted to force them to the center of the openings, eyesformed upon the outer-ends of the tangs, hooks mounted in the casing forthe purpose of engaging the eyes until the depression of the blocks. v I

3. In an animal trap, a housing having openings in its upper face and ahinged bottom to admit access to the housing, radial tangs havingdownwardly extending pointed inner ends slidably mounted within thehousing, helical springs surrounding the tangs and adapted to force themto the center of the openings, eyes formed upon the outer ends of thetangs, hooks mounted within the housing and adapted to engage the eyesof the tangs, and depressible blocks seated normally in the openings andprovided with a lower beveled face engaging the inner ends of the tangsand adapted to force the eyes outward and upward from engagement withthe hooks.

4. In combination with a housing having a hinged bottom and apertures inits upper face, radial tangs mounted within the housing, springs forforcing the tangs to the center of the openings, eyes formed upon theouter endsof the tangs, hooks carried by the housing and adapted toengage the eyes of the tangs, and depressible blocks seated in theopenings formed in the housing, and constituting means for releasing theeyes from the pins upon the depression of the blocks.

In testimony whereof I afiiXed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GLEN ONEAL.

Witnesses: p

. R. W. Booms,

IV. S. BAYERD.

